Weekly Standard: McCain says pro-choice running mate would be OK, but not pro-gay Bloomberg

By STEPHEN F. HAYES, The Weekly Standard

IN A WIDE-RANGING INTERVIEW aboard his campaign plane this morning, John McCain said that he is open to choosing a pro-choice running mate and named former Pennsylvania governor Tom Ridge as someone who merits serious consideration despite his support for abortion rights. McCain also criticized Barack Obama's presidential campaign for attempts to "politicize" the debate over Georgia and criticized President Bush for failing to recognize the true nature of Vladimir Putin.

"I think that the pro-life position is one of the important aspects or fundamentals of the Republican Party," McCain said. "And I also feel that--and I'm not trying to equivocate here--that Americans want us to work together. You know, Tom Ridge is one of the great leaders and he happens to be pro-choice. And I don't think that that would necessarily rule Tom Ridge out."

McCain's comments came in response to a question about comments he made to several reporters during the Republican primary season. During that exchange, McCain was asked whether New York City mayor Michael Bloomberg would make a good running mate. McCain offered strong words of praise for Bloomberg but said that Bloomberg's position on abortion--he is also pro-choice--would make it difficult to choose him as a vice presidential candidate.

In the interview this morning, McCain suggested that Ridge would be more palatable to social conservatives than Bloomberg.

"I think it's a fundamental tenet of our party to be pro-life but that does not mean we exclude people from our party that are pro-choice. We just have a--albeit strong--but just it's a disagreement. And I think Ridge is a great example of that. Far moreso than Bloomberg, because Bloomberg is pro-gay rights, pro, you know, a number of other issues."

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Comments

[Peter]

So I heard John McCain met with T. Boon Pickens this morning
and it seems that McCain will be adopting the Pickens Plan?
I wonder if a vice president Pickens is in the works.
http://www.boonepicken.com

[Ericmiami]

I wonder if McCain's children from his first marriage have any input into the vice-presidency?

[RT]

So, in his point of view, killing innocent babies isn't quite as bad as people of the same sex in love with each other.

[You got it]

Kill babies. It's good exercise.

[Sam]

Wonder why McCain doesn't mention that his top adviser Meg Whitman is a big ole (obviously self-hating) LESBIAN?